


One Last Chance

by KazueEmiko



Series: One Last Chance [2]
Category: Final Fantasy Type-0, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, Minor Mercedes von Martritz/My Unit | Byleth, Minor My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Spoilers, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:00:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22143733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: It appears that fate has something different in store for everyone in both worlds. A country developed on top of lies. A country developed through political tension. Both countries inevitably led to gruesome bloodsheds. By the power of the Divine Pulse, Byleth is greeted with the sixth repeat. The first four with respective paths she had chosen, the fifth of dark origin, and the sixth out of desperation from Sothis. Just as Byleth surmises her next plan of action to giving up, she is greeted with a group that threatens to alter their future... and perhaps a future she long yearns for.- Class Zero & Edeleth-centric
Relationships: Ace (Final Fantasy Type-0)/Machina Kunagiri, Cater/Eight (Final Fantasy Type-0), Cinque/Trey (Final Fantasy Type-0), Deuce (Final Fantasy Type-0)/Rem Tokimiya, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Jack/King (Final Fantasy Type-0), Joker/Tiz (Final Fantasy Type-0), Nine/Queen (Final Fantasy Type-0), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sice/Seven (Final Fantasy Type-0), Zhuyu Voghfau Byot/Caetuna
Series: One Last Chance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550260
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	One Last Chance

**Author's Note:**

> I did it. I finally indulged in my food that I've prepared for myself. However, I wanted to share this crossover series since there's... honestly a ton I could see between these two series. (I mean, for starters, the complexity of war is a huge thing and students fighting bloody battles, eek.) Be sure to read the prologue in order to build-up the current series direction, especially when it comes to Byleth's current status. Hope you enjoy this! I really enjoyed writing this. :)

Fodlan may have their hands tied with warfare between the three nations, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, the Adrestian Empire, Leicester Alliance, and the faction from the Church of Seiros, but so did another country from another world. Orience was deadlocked in a war between the four nations of the Dominion of Rubrum, the Milites Empire, the Kingdom of Concordia, and Lorican Alliance. Yet as two countries are faced with bloody turmoil, it appears that Sothis and Arecia Al-Rashia may have tapped into their abilities to make the unexpected become a reality.

Perhaps this was the answer Byleth may have looked for.

Perhaps this was the answer Arecia may have looked for.

Perhaps it was the answer they both needed in order to get the ending they wanted.

\-----

**Orience, Suzaku Peristylium, Pyr. XXVI, 842**

Ever since the first deployment of the cadets from Suzaku Peristylium, Class Zero was hailed as students worth the admiration. When no one was able to use their magic thanks to the crystal jammers during the Milites Empire’s strike during the Rubrum Liberation of 842, the twelve members out of the fourteen were able to secure victory and solidified the academy’s defense line with their unaffected state.

Time and time again, they were the key to bringing victory under the flag of Rubrum. When they supposedly “died” on the battlefield, they reawaken in great health and operate normally the next day as if nothing had happened. This baffled everyone around them. Their existence almost transcended to godhood… at least, from the other students’ perspectives. On the other hand, many of the teachers and staff wearily eyed the children.

Class Zero was an abnormality. Compared to other students that were, in their teenage years, at the height of their magic capabilities, they possessed abilities that were beyond fearsome. If anything, they could be a danger to the nation. And all either at the age of 16 or 17. This led to various assassination attempts and forced suicidal missions down into their throats by some higher-ups wanting them gone. Not that it stopped them from continuing their services to the nation.

“You’ve got guts, cadet,” one of the Dominion Tribune remarked. “It’s no wonder why the imperial soldiers dub you all as the Red Demons.”

It was a nickname that clung to them ever since the formation of Class Zero. Unfortunately, it would be a nickname that some students and soldiers would label them as too.

“We’ve successfully recaptured the town of Keziah,” Ace reported alongside Seven, Nine, and Queen in the command room. “We’ve also eliminated the threats at Keziah.”

Their Commanding Officer (CO), Kurasame, audibly exhaled. “You’ve all annihilated the imperial forces stationed there?” Seven nodded. Their commander — their teacher — did not hide his surprise. Unfortunately, his wide eyes were gone just as fast as they had appeared. It was almost expected of them. Their skills and strengths as a team were tight. Members of Class Zero were always perfect teammates with one another, freely allowing Kurasame to mix-and-match as he pleases for future operations. The experienced warrior faintly smiled under his mask at the four students under his command, yet his cool eyes remained stoic.

“Excellent work. I knew you would be able to partake in the operation handed down by the Commandant.”

Kurasame eventually dismissed them from the main room. But before Nine could celebrate, the older male immediately reminded them about an upcoming lecture in their class today. Too bad the lecture was going to start in less than an hour. This caused one particular cadet in the quad to lash out after their departure. Hands in his pant’s pockets, the dragoon kicked the air as they descended the marbled stairs, passing by the other students.

“What the Hell!” he barked. “Just because we came back unscathed doesn’t mean we have enough energy for some studyin’! I’m too tired for this!”

“Nine, as cadets, we cannot slack off from book learning either,” Queen retorted with a shake of her head. “How else will we improve?”

“By sleeping, duh.”

“NINE!”

“What?! It’s true! Ya know I’m still a growin’ boy, yo.”

Seven crossed her arms and loudly sighed. “If it helps, it’s a short lecture.” The silver-haired female cupped her chin, mumbling under her breath, “Not that I disagree with you. I preferred we get some rest as soon as possible.”

A bead of sweat ran down Ace’s face. Though he didn’t speak up, he could not help but side with both Seven and Nine. But alas, their commander knew what was best for them. If Mother Arecia had placed complete trust in Kurasame, so should they… even though their first meeting was rocky between Ace, Cater, and Nine with him. Besides, there was another reason for coming to the classroom early. The card-wielder felt the corner of his lips curve upward upon arrival.

“Queenie!”

“OOF!” Queen nearly toppled backward from the impact of a familiar figure. The ditzy-girl, Cinque, had tossed herself onto the vermillion cadet. It was terrible timing as Queen hadn’t braced herself for a casual assault from one of the strongest females in their class. Stars bounced around in the older female’s vision as she accidentally smacked her head on the carpet. “C-Cinque?”

Seeing that her friend got hurt, Cinque sat on her stomach and lightly scratched her own cheek.

“Ehe~ Sorry ‘bout that, Queenie.”

While the duo was stuck on the ground, Ace, Nine, and Seven exchanged looks. Not that they were able to maintain eye contact as Jack, King, and Machina approach the trio.

“You came back well and alive, huh,” Jack crossed his arms behind his head. With his signature cheeky smile, he added, “Then again, not like you had much of a choice, right?”

“Oi oi, what kinda joke were you trying to get at, pretty boy?” Nine felt the corner of his head pulsate as he jabbed his finger on Jack’s chest. He didn’t get too far with expressing his irritation when King placed a hand on the lancer’s shoulder. The dual gunner firmly shook his head. “Nine, he means no harm.”

“Hmph.”

“Yeah, you should listen to King more often, Nine~”

“The same goes for you too, Jack.”

An exaggerated expression flashed on the samurai’s face like he was burnt with hot water. For the comedic purpose, of course. This caused Ace and Machina to chuckle in the background at the sight.

“Doesn’t King act like a father to both of them?” Machina mentioned as they continued to bicker and chatter amongst themselves. Ace raised an eyebrow. When he was greeted with silence, the transferred cadet continued with a stutter, “A-Anyway, I wanted to know how the mission went.”

Ace faintly smiled. “It went well. Achieved our objectives faster than expected.”

“I’m not surprised. I mean, you ARE a Class Zero member,” Machina lowered his head and forced a burst of laughter. “The original one unlike Rem and me. I… could never catch up to you guys.”

“Machina…” Without thinking twice, he reached out to grab ahold of his classmate’s hand, causing Machina to snap his head up. The young man was faced with a smiling Ace. “You’re also a part of Class Zero, aren’t you? You and Rem have worked hard to be here. I think you should have more faith in yourself.”

“Ace…”

Their heartful conversation ensued as Seven watched from nearby. She allowed a small smile to form on her lips, her arms crossed, and looked over them as if she were an older sister. (Her role as the older sister was developed thanks to her personality and age.) Though it appears her observations were cut short once Eight and Cater entered the picture.

“Hey, glad that you came back alive,” Eight lightly punched Seven’s arm. “Otherwise, we would’ve run right into Keziah to rescue you four.”

Cater huffed and glanced elsewhere. “I’m not sure what the Commandment was thinking,” she grumbled. “Why would he limit us to only four students? We would always go as a team. If anything, if it weren’t for Kurasame’s picking, I would gladly go in anyone’s stead!”

“I wish I knew his intentions too…” Seven crossed her arms. “I wouldn’t want to go around making false accusations.”

“Of course you don’t know, but I sure as hell would want to know!”

Further to the front of the classroom, ironically, there sat Sice. Normally one to sit in the back along with Nine, Jack, and King, she happily kept a distance from her fellow comrades. She's not exactly the type of person to get all snuggly with others. Today was different, however. Sice slumped forward in her seat, her eyes slanted, and loudly groaned. This perked the attention of many of her classmates, especially from the four students who recently arrived.

“What’s wrong, Sice?” Deuce asked. Though she probably shouldn’t have said anything. The flutist and the rest of the gang immediately knew what led to the grim reaper’s sudden change. Trey motioned his hands in the air. “Sice, why are you groaning? I haven’t told you about how important swinging your weapon around is. You may think you’re doing us a favor by getting rid of the enemies first, but please bear in mind that you have us as your comrades. I, for one, do not want to be a victim of friendly fire—”

The scythe-wielder cupped her ears and slowly smacked her forehead against the desk’s surface repetitively.

“Someone… please… shut this guy up!”

Unfortunately, neither Deuce nor Rem could help her. Instead, the pair decided to avert their attention elsewhere. Though they were one of the few nicer folks from Class Zero, they were unable to deal with Trey. Or rather, they didn’t know how to deal with the talkative archer. Rem felt an invisible bead of sweat run down the side of her face as she strained a smile onto her face, her attention turned to the brunette.

“I hope someone could help Sice out…” she barely wrung a plea out for her fellow classmate. “I’m not very good when it comes to Trey.”

“Neither am I.”

Trey is unstoppable without the use of force. Anyone that dares to cut him off by rescuing their comrade would be met with a barrage of knowledge they didn’t need to know on the spot. He truly is a walking encyclopedia… If only he acted more like Queen or Ace. Thankfully, there is one of the few who can put an end to his chatter, and he is now present at the scene.

“Ah— Commander is here…” Cater grumbled, forced to walk back to her seat.

Kurasame’s appearance set order in the classroom. Sice quickly got up from her temporary placement, turned towards Trey, gave him the middle finger, then marched to the back of the room. Though her action would offend just about anybody, she knew him too well, Trey having shrugged his shoulders and brushing aside her crude response.

“Next time, we shall have a discussion on how slang languages have developed over the years, Sice.”

“I’ll light your ass on fire if you try to talk to me again.”

Not that it’s ever stopped him before.

Eventually, all fourteen members of Class Zero returned to their original seat placement of their choosing. Kurasame, followed by his Tonberry, arrived at the front of Classroom Zero. When the Moogle raised hir hand in the air, this prompted the lecture to start.

“First off, I want us to recognize the valiant efforts Ace, Seven, Nine, and Queen had done for us,” the CO started. He motioned towards the four youngsters with his hand. “Their success at Keziah is a vital victory for not only Rubrum’s war efforts, but for its citizens too.”

Their classmates nodded their heads in silent acknowledgment. There was no need for laughter or clapping. There wasn’t even the need to feel relief. They knew their success was a given. After all, they are the legendary Class Zero, unstoppable and unbeatable against all odds… even if it meant being faced with death countless times. (This is all thanks to Mother Arecia for reviving them.) Besides, so long as they retain the memories of their comrades, they knew they were alive. The law of this land dictates that those living will be remembered, and those who die will be forgotten and erased from the memories of the living. Not everyone agreed to this notion, but many agreed that it’s beneficial during the war.

How could one move forward if they’re shackled by the tragedy of their friends and families, right?

Seeing that his students remained attentive, Kurasame glanced down at the textbooks and files he had placed earlier that day.

“…”

Ah— The files. It was missing. He swore he had placed it on the table before heading to the Command Room earlier today. This had never happened to the Ice Reaper until now. He glanced up at the cadets and firmed his lips beneath the mask. The file had contained all their graded written examinations from last week. Losing them would spell disaster for everyone. Well, almost everyone, of course. Fortunately, Kurasame didn’t have to worry for long about the documentations when Aria Luricara, an Orderly, approached the adult with them at hand.

“They… dropped.”

Her voice was always so light and soft, they were like a whisper. Kurasame gave the young child a quick thanks and retrieved the file. Then, he diverted his attention back to the fourteen students.

“Today’s lecture will be a continuation of DFMG-100: Introduction to Defense Magic. I’m sure you all have already cast some level of Defense Magic. However, the fundamentals remain just as important as putting them to use.” He turned to the blackboard, took a stray white chalk, and scribbled on the smooth surface. “We will continue to develop an understanding of basic defensive spells, learn effective strategies for using defensive magic in the field, particularly against Militesi arms, and work toward the mastery of even the most difficult defensive incantations.”

As he finishes writing the goals on the board, the Moogle floated towards the file. Ze carefully took the small pile of graded papers within the holder and placed it upon the elongated front desk. Then, taking one out, proclaimed, “Kupo! Your grades from last week’s examination on Introduction to Defense Magic is here!”

This elicited groans and complaints throughout the classroom. The noise level grew drastically once their scores were known to the students.

“What!? How preposterous!” Trey exclaimed and immediately stood up. This nearly caused Queen, who sits in front of him, to jump out of her seat. His brows were scrunched and creases formed on his forehead as he rambled, “How could I have a low score!?”

“Oi, define ‘low’ score,” Nine grumbled. “Betcha it ain’t low.”

“I got a 94!”

“You little punk…” the dragoon, sitting on the chair’s head, stomped his foot onto the desk. “Talk to me when you get a 10 percent, dammit! You’ll at least be lower than me by one point!”

“What the hell… did you get all those points from writing your name only…?” Sice was baffled by his scores. Then again, her score wasn’t exactly that hot either, barely skirting by with a 70. “I didn’t even study and I passed.”

“It’s lower than Queen’s, Nine!” Trey frantically waved his sheet in the air. “Don’t you understand!?”

It was clear as day that the two intelligent students were rivals when it came to their studies. (Ace is a competition too, but Trey always had his eyes set on Queen’s perfect and near-perfect scores.) Two points ahead of the blonde damaged his self-esteem far more than Sice’s or Nine’s cruel words! Oh, the horror! Unfortunately, Trey looked over the fact that this rivalry was one-sided, and the results were always one-sided between the two.

Trey dramatically pointed at the confuzzled black-haired and boldly challenged, “I will beat you on the next examination, Queen!”

“R-Right…” The young girl adjusted her glasses, sweat flying out of her head at the scene unfolding before her. “Let’s do our best.”

“Hehe~ You both have to try harder than that, then! Cinque got a higher score than you both!” Almost as if on cue, the macer, who sat next to Queen, stood up and showed her paper to the archer. “I got 99!”

“…”

“…”

“Um, Cinque,” Jack chuckled in the background. “Aren’t you holding your test upside down?”

True to his words, the ditzy girl had held her examination upside down, causing her “66” to become a “99.” She was random at times… a little too much at times. Cinque always thought outside of the box, but sometimes the solution that she came to are far too obscure or silly to be taken seriously. This is one of them. Despite his observation, that didn’t bother Cinque. Actually— He only made her pout.

“You’re just jealous, Jackie!”

“Me? Jealous? With that score? Pfft, nah.”

“Oh yeah, what did you get then?”

“A perfect score of 100—”

“He’s got a solid 60 percent.”

“E-Eight!? Don’t go blowing my pride away like that!”

The boxer rolled his eyes and tossed the red-marked paper at his friend. “Then don’t lie to Cinque, Jack. That’s not right of you.”

“What a buzzkill, shorty.”

“What did you just call me?”

“Ya heard me, shorty.”

If there’s one thing Eight hated being called, it’s being called short. An anger mark pulsated from the upper corner of his head as the cadet cracked his knuckles. The corner of his lip tugged as he rose up from his seat. Looks like Jack is in a world full of pain for the next few minutes… That is until someone interrupted him.

“Oh, wow, you got a perfect score!”

Rem’s outcry silenced the rowdy room and directed their sight towards the speaker. The transferred cadet had covered her mouth, her eyes wide as she stared at Deuce’s paper. Cater, who also sat next to Deuce, whistled at the sheet.

“Aren’t you so smart,” the gunner grinned and ruffled the brunette’s hair. “You gonna have to tutor me in the future then!”

Deuce felt her cheeks glow. “It’s not like that… I just know a lot about white magic.” There’s no telling about the next examination… especially if it’s about something other than Defense Magic. Outside of her expertise, Deuce is more of an above-average student. When it came to physical examination though, she was the worst of the worst out there. Not that it stopped Rem from tossing out another praise to the musician. She clasped her hands together and smiled.

“You got the score because you’re a hard worker.”

“I agree with Rem,” Machina piped in. “I mean, just look at Ace— He also got a perfect score too!”

Now it was Ace’s turn to feel his ears burning from the praise Machina shouted out to the entirety of the classroom. Just because Ace quietly worked hard on his studies doesn’t mean he wants it to be known to the public. He’s gotten plenty of attention alongside Class Zero from the entire country because of their status alone. He doesn’t need any more than necessary. Regardless, the other male liked to show off credit when it’s due, wanting others to acknowledge the intelligence that graced the card-wielder.

Ace and Deuce exchanged glances before they broke out into soft laughter. The room continued to be rowdy as Seven and King approached the front of the desk. Though their scores were well above average, the two students were busy discussing their answers with Kurasame. This gave the rest of their friends an extra five minutes or so of banters before their actual lecture began.

On the other hand, Kurasamae’s Tonberry and the Moogle were seen staring out at the windows. To their surprise, the sky, which was once sunny and clear, is now overwhelmed with dark thunderous clouds. It rumbled in the distance as if a storm is arriving.

The Moogle lowered hir head.

“Kupo… it looks like it’s going to rain soon.”

“…”

“Thank goodness Ace, Seven, Nine, and Queen came from the miss though,” the creature bounced in the air and raised hir stubby arm. “Imagine what would happen if they got caught up in the rain!”

Perhaps the Moogle had spoken too soon. Seven and King stopped speaking mid-sentence with their commander, the hair on both of their necks standing up. The two eldest students shot a glance at the nearby windows. In the midst of the loud classroom, the dark clouds continued to crawl towards Suzaku Peristylium, almost as if it were a prowling beast.

King narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like where this is going.”

“You feel that too?”

He nodded. Seven lowered her test onto Kurasame’s desk. The instant she gently laid it on the surface was when her feet gave way.

“?!”

King tossed his hand out to catch his classmate. However, the trembling ground caused him to slip too. The two of them never made contact on the ground as the floors crumbled away for the dark abyss. None of them were able to voice their surprise upon falling through the unknown. Their fates were sealed… along with the rest of Class Zero and those in the classroom.

\-----

**Fodlan, Garreg Mach Monastery, Great Tree Moon 27**

A young teal-haired woman had recently arrived at the famous Garreg Mach Monastery since yesterday with her father, Jeralt, and three of the house leaders. After a quick meeting with Lady Rhea and Seteth, she immediately headed for bed at her assigned dormitory. Not that the sleep did much to improve her conditions.

“…”

Dark bags under her weary, dead eyes stared back at Byleth Eisner from the mirror. She lightly touched the fragile glass. The mercenary slid her fingertips down, though more as if she allowed the gravitational pull to drag them downward. Then, a familiar close friend manifested herself from behind. Sothis floated over to her host’s side and stared at her.

“Good morning, Byleth.”

“…”

Sothis was not one to expect a cheery response, but she had expected an answer. Then again, Byleth refused to speak. The petite female sighed. She lowered her head. There was a pause. Then, Sothis neared the professor. She may not be able to physically touch her, but she was able to exert some form of action that would convey a heartfelt message. Sothis draped her arms over the warrior’s shoulders and leaned forward. Into her ear, she muttered,

“Byleth… I understand it’s tough, but you have to pull yourself together.”

“…”

“Don’t keep your students waiting. It’s the first day for you to get to know your students again.”

“…”

Seeing that the sword-wielder remained mute, the goddess parted from her. She eventually reached out to briefly, but transparently, cup her friend’s cheeks. Sothis weakly smiled at Byleth.

“Be sure to wisely choose which house you will teach. I would think twice before making your decision.”

And think twice she had to. Compared to the first four sequences Byleth was forced to endure thanks to her self-inflicted decision to use the Divine Pulse, the fifth sequence had broken the professor.

Byleth decided to go after Those Who Slither in the Dark. Though she had already made a huge mistake of causing a war between the three nations to occur much earlier on in the timeline (while they were still students and Byleth was unable to merge with Sothis), she strived to dive into the heart of the problem.

The clashing of Those Who Slither in the Dark with the remainder of her battalion from Jeralt’s mercenary group ended gruesomely.

“You will regret everything, Cursed Fell Star,” Thales mocked right before succumbing to his injuries. Byleth, having stood above him with a bloodied Sword of Creator, tried to catch her breath and comprehend his cryptic message. Not that it took long to understand his meaning. The young woman rose up from the depths of Shambhala and instantly regrets doing so.

It was a complete bloodbath. The sky was tainted with crimson and the number of bodies that strewn across the land of Fodlan would make just about anybody think they’re living in Hell. Actually— Byleth might just be living in one.

She could hardly keep ahold of the relic as she dragged her injured figure through the decimated battlefield. There were too many soldiers and innocent civilians dragged into this unnecessary conflict. A conflict that could have been avoided had Byleth made the right choice. The death counts were tallying up in the triple digits and both Byleth and Sothis couldn’t keep track of them. Because of his, many of their faces were a blur… until it came to the students and those that she once had married.

Mercedes had died with a knife plunged into her chest.

Claude had been sliced in half by an axe.

Dorothea had her head lopped off by a silver sword.

Edelgard had been beaten by brass knuckles until her face was unrecognizable.

It was the redness of her blood and mangled features that burnt into Byleth’s mind. It was the confirmation that sowed the seed of despair. A chill shuddered down her spine as the pale instructor felt a surge of nausea. Byleth then fell on all four. She didn’t hesitate to vomit the acidic content from her stomach.

“El— EL…”

She weakly called out to the vermillion house leader. Out of all the fates Edelgard had to meet, this one was the worst of them all. Byleth crawled towards the person that she had loved. The person that she should’ve married. The person she went through multiple timelines in order to find her perfect ending. And it was an ending she abandoned in search of an impossible dream.

Is this the price Byleth Eisner had to pay for meddling with time? Is this the price she had to pay for meddling with fate? Is this… retaliation for walking away from an ending she worked so hard to achieve?

Byleth crawled on top of what’s left of the young student. Bruised hands shoved its way onto Edelgard’s vermillion uniform. The professor struggled to hold back her tears, the tears streamed forth and splattered upon the crimson-stained chest. She was suddenly assaulted with loneliness. Byleth bit her torn bottom lip, shook her head, and cried hard into the girl’s chest. Inhumane screams were muffled into the fabrics. No one other than Sothis was there to witness the terrible state Byleth was in.

“…”

Yet she peeled herself away from the sticky body. The humid and hot atmosphere threatened to envelop her in a second layer of sweat and blood of hers and the others. Sothis, who stood on the tainted land, watched her host. Byleth struggled to get up on her feet. When she tried, she collapsed onto her knees. Pathetically.

“Byleth?”

“…”

Byleth had to do something. There was one solution to this timeline… and it would be a permanent solution. The young woman slowly dragged her body through the bloodied grasses for the Sword of Creator. An impressive strength emerged from her body as she grasped ahold of the handle. Its dull and cracked blades hardly shone when she used it to steady herself onto her knees.

She was breathing hard. Though a whole minute passed by, Sothis’s eyes widened and she screamed for Byleth’s name.

“BYLETH!” The tip of the blade was turned to herself. Byleth’s arms were violently shaking as she held it away from her chest. Slowly, the young woman looked at Sothis, who floated in front of her. Those hands that the goddess desperately flailed and swung at barely did anything. If it did, it simply caught her host’s attention. Byleth cracked a smile. Sothis, for the first time, felt immense fear for someone other than herself. “NO, DON’T DO IT!”

“How could I not?”

It was but a whisper. A whisper that was followed with the serrated edges plunged into her chest cavity. The strike had driven itself deep enough to protrude out from the back. As magma-red substance soaked her dark overcoat, the Crest of Flames that acted as a pacemaker cracked, crumbling into pieces. Byleth was finally greeted with the sweet darkness. It would be eternal darkness that she would never ever see the light.

After all, it was retribution for altering fate. She should have accepted any one of the endings she was met with in the past. Whether it be with Mercedes, Claude, Dorothea, or Edelgard, she should have stuck with one and left it alone. But no, she tried to play god. She tried to become a god of her own life.

_‘ I deserve to be in Hell. ‘_

“No, you don’t.”

When Byleth cracked open her eyes and Jeralt was present, she was horrified about the turn of event. The sixth cycle had begun. History would repeat itself, and she would have to relive through all of the scenarios again.

“I won’t allow you to die a pitiful death like that.”

Sothis’s words rung in her head. It was the Goddess herself that basked Byleth’s soul back to life. Unfortunately, the past five loops that she experienced and possessed memories of left a bitter taste to her mouth. The instructor became a hollow shell because of it. This timeline began to divert the moment she had to awaken from her light slumber in the familiar shelter.

Travel with Jeralt, save the three house leaders, knock out the goons, and head to Garreg Mach Monastery with strong encouragement from Alois. There, she will have met Lady Rhea and Seteth. She might have spotted prominent figures from the Knights of Seiros, those being Shamir and Catherine. It came so naturally. However, what differed from the previous five timelines were her mute status. The fact that she refuses to speak puzzled Jeralt and the house leaders. Not even the archbishop knew what went through Byleth’s mind when they met in-person. As a result, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude did not form a close relationship with the instructor like the previous times. They were wary of her… a little too wary.

“…”

Regardless, she had to listen to Sothis. Or was it Rhea? Jeralt perhaps? Whoever it was, Byleth had to open her mouth and introduce herself to the students and other professors. She was going to teach them, and no teacher would be successful by opting to not speak. And so, she greeted the house leaders and the students in no particular order.

“Oh, you’re the new professor? I’m surprised they would find someone as young as you to be an instructor.”

Mercedes giggled. That delicate, charming feature of hers was what made Byleth fall in love at first sight. The maiden, older by a year, smiled at the teal-haired. As if someone tried to make a key point, an imaginary, faint red band encircled their pinkies. Byleth dryly swallowed at the sight of her first wife. The stony exterior that had plagued the ex-mercenary was shrugged off. Was fate trying to play with her? She could never stay silent when it came to someone she had once fallen in love with.

“Mercedes…” After so long, she had finally spoken. “Mercedes…!”

“I heard you the first time, Professor.” Hearing her speak caught the older woman by surprise, but, oddly, in a good way. Mercedes stepped forward, reached her hand out, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Byleth’s ear. “To hear you say my name though… it feels… somewhat familiar. Have we ever met before?”

“…”

Byleth shook her head and turned away from Mercedes. Her features were beginning to brighten as she hurried, ignoring the calling from the lone female. This was starting to reel back into how she acted from the fifth time she used the Divine Pulse. She cannot afford to slip back to her old ways!

Unfortunately, that advice was unheard of when she nearly crashed into a young male. Byleth nearly fell backward when her arm was roughly grabbed. Back supported by another hand, she found herself staring up at the house leader of the Golden Deer. Claude flashed his signature grin at the teacher.

“Whew, glad I caught you! Would’ve been bad if I didn’t.”

Uh oh. Byleth felt her chest slightly ache at the sight of him. Although they were married for political reasons, it would be a lie to state that they didn’t have at least some sort of romantic implications between the two individuals from the second timeline. He was a gentleman and he still is no matter his age. The only difference was his missing rugged beard.

The female’s mouth became dry again. When she opened her mouth, she couldn’t say anything. Claude raised a brow.

“Uh… Teach, you okay?”

“…”

She slowly nodded. Then, when he righted her posture, she immediately made a mad dash away from his presence. Claude’s eyes widened and tried to grab her hand. Although they were bound by a ring string of fate, he was not able to make physical contact with the instructor, Byleth running far ahead. It was a headscratcher for him. To Byleth, she could not get any closer to him than necessary. She didn’t want to be blinded by love once again.

Her pace slowed to a stop. Byleth found herself standing in the Black Eagles lecture room. When she peeked inside of the premise, aside from a few students talking amongst themselves, there wasn’t anyone she should be worried for.

“Professor? Are you interested in the Black Eagles?”

“!”

Byleth should be grateful she didn’t have any weapons on her body. Otherwise, she would’ve unsheathed her iron sword and swung it at the speaker. The older woman twirled around with haste. It was none other than Dorothea crossing her arms, her eyes twinkling with anticipating at the professor’s answer. Byleth moistened her lower lip and curled her hands into fists.

“I… I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” the songstress sighed. Then, almost as if she was trying to seduce the woman to swing for a favorable answer, waltzed over and came abnormally close to Byleth. The heat that puffed through Byleth’s face was far different from the two students from earlier. Memories whipped back to their parasitic relationship during Byleth’s lowest moments in her life. Those sweet, honeyed touches that eventually became venomous and attacked all parts of her sanity… She could never forget them. Byleth’s navy hues shifted elsewhere and mumbled, “I have to go now.”

“Wait— Huh?!”

Byleth ran away once again, leaving a trail of smoke from her heels. Dorothea huffed at the sight. Just what is wrong with the professor? Not only was she mute, but she was also avoiding the students— No, she was avoiding her! Just as that particular thought crossed through the songstress’s mind, a faint red band that encircled her pinkie glowed in timing with Byleth’s.

Five minutes ticked by when the instructor stood at the horse stable. Some soldiers and students were present, their reasons differing for the premise. Some were here to care for the gentle creatures. Others were ready to take them out for patrol.

“…”

How in the world is Byleth going to survive in this loop? She couldn’t dare stay in Mercedes’s presence, and certainly not Claude’s nor Dorothea’s. The older woman felt a shiver run down her spine. If Edelgard showed up…

“Professor, I didn’t know you like horses.”

“!!!”

The older woman robotically turned to her right to face the house leader. There, in her vermillion glory, stood Edelgard von Hresvelg. Edelgard appears neutral as she approached Byleth. The ex-mercenary to take a step back. This action did not go unnoticed, the lord loudly sighing. Edelgard placed on hand on her hip and frowned.

“Professor, I cannot help but feel like you are afraid of me.”

“...what makes you say that?”

“So, you speak,” Her lilac eyes widened, but immediately returned to its original state. “My apology for the rude remark. What I want to know is why you are feverishly stubborn on avoiding me… or any of the students.”

“…”

Edelgard places a hand on her chest. “Especially me.” She gives a sadden look. “If there is something that I have done wrong, then let me right it. I want to know if there is something that is causing you unease, my teacher.”

My teacher.

She said it. Byleth nearly wanted to break down on the spot and spill the beans about her predicaments. How she wished for them to all get along. How she wanted everyone to survive if a war was inevitable. How she wanted Edelgard to live. How many times she jumped through timeline after timeline to find her happily ever after with Edelgard. How she committed suicide after witnessing the horrendous deaths of so many, losing everyone in the process. How she wanted to tell Edelgard everything.

“…”

But she refused to. Byleth felt her core tremble as she continuously swallowed dryly. She didn’t want a repeat of the fifth cycle. One wrong move and she would throw everything off balance. Not only did she want to witness the massacre… Byleth did not want to go through another forced Divine Pulse. She knew Sothis means well, but at the same time, she didn’t want the Goddess Blessing to suffer again. She didn’t want to live with a massive guilt sitting on top of her shoulders either.

“Professor?”

“I’m sorry.”

Edelgard was flabbergasted. An apology? She didn’t hear wrong, did she?

“Beg your pardon?”

Byleth started to back away until she neared a prepped horse, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry, El.” Before the royal could interrogate the instructor about the abrupt, vague apologies and the personal nickname only her family had known, Byleth hopped onto the horse and galloped away from the stable.

“B-Byleth? What are you doing?!” Sothis hollered as she easily followed the rider. When they burst out of the monastery’s ground and away from the holy academy, the Goddess was alarmed. She frantically waved her arms in front of Byleth. “Where are you going?! Return to the monastery!”

“I can’t!”

“Why not?!”

“I can’t face them again!”

The horse neighed from the sudden and painful tug from his new owner. He kicked up his hooves and violently shook his head around. That action nearly bucked Byleth out of her seat if it weren’t for her iron grip.

Sothis watched her host silently as Byleth clenched her jaw. The Goddess seeing all noticed the red threads of fate that encircled her friend’s pinkie. Unlike most who had one, she had all four connected, their glow pulsing at even interval and at different timing per thread. Sothis narrowed her eyes. Then, she flew directly up to Byleth’s face. If they could physically touch, she would have bumped nose with hers.

“What are you going to do then? You can’t just mope around and expect something to happen.”

“I didn’t want to come back here.”

“I can’t. Not after what you did in the previous cycle.”

“You’ve offered me the chance to keep my endings. Why can’t you leave me alone with the last one?”

“I won’t allow my closest friend to die a pitiful death!” Sothis hands, wanting to grab Byleth’s collar, transparently passed through them, to her irritation. “I refuse to let your life end on a pathetic conclusion. Mark my words, you will achieve a better ending to your life.”

“And what if I can’t? What if I can’t make it?”

“You’ll have no choice but to find it.” Sothis huffed and pointed at Byleth. “Besides, I know you’re strong. You’re someone that I know will make it.”

“…”

Though their conversation was going to continue, they were interrupted by a small group.

“Excuse me, miss, but do you know the direction towards the Leciester Alliance?”

The speaker was an older male cladded in a white military outfit. His hat, cane, and attire resemble a commander. Accompanied by his side are varying soldiers of similar colors, their masks eerily similar to the white tiger. Unlike the commander, to which he possessed a katana, they were adorned with a strange weapon on their waist. Some of them carried an elongated, black object in their hands. Is it a firearm for magic of some sort? The questions that bubbled in Byleth’s head were only growing in quantity as she responded to his.

After giving direction, he cracked a faint smile and nodded. “Thank you. Your help is much appreciated.” Before he turned away, Byleth called out to him.

“Where are you from?”

He paused. Then, after having a male with an eyepatch approach to his side and whisper into his ear, straightened his stiff posture. “We are from the Milites Empire, Orience.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“I’m not surprised,” he chuckled. “We’ve… traveled from another country.”

“Still never heard of it.”

“A very far away country.” He cleared his throat and asked, “Tell me, what is your name?”

“…Byleth. Byleth Eisner.”

“I shall remember your name, Byleth.” Then, the older male’s eyes slanted. “I am Cid Aulstyne. I hope we see each other again in the future.”

They’ve exchanged farewells before he and his group departed in the direction she pointed to. His group hastily moved to the neighboring nation. Sothis soon descended next to her friend. There was a frown plastered on her face as she hummed.

“Cid… Milites Empire… Now, where have I heard of those names before…?”

“You knew?”

“Somewhat. They are familiar, yet I cannot put my finger on it.”

“…”

They were from a different country. It’s no wonder why they stuck out like a sore thumb in the grassy fields. Although there are some villages and small towns scattered about outside of the monastery, none of them ever dressed in a matter like those guys. The fact that they’re from the Milites Empire is a name foreign enough in Orience.

Byleth faintly sighed and motioned the horse to the monastery. The travel back was not long, lasting only ten minutes at a steady, galloping pace. She was expecting to hear the usual, chirpy greeting from the Gatekeeper, but today was not the case.

There was a group of… students, two strange creatures, and an older male standing in front of the Gatekeeper. Civilians and students from nearby all gathered to observe the peculiar sights. Vermillion capes adorned their black uniforms, the students trying to bypass the security of the academy’s entranceway. There were even a few students that didn’t have the red cape arguing alongside the others.

“P-Please, calm down!” the poor Gatekeeper motioned for the rowdy dragoon to settle. “Not everyone can go into the Officers Academy, you know!”

“What the hell is up with ya, hah?” the boy, whose name was Nine, barked as his hands dug into his white pant’s pockets. He tried to get all up the nervous guard’s face. Staring deep into his eyes, Nine snarled, “Listen, yo, we have been walking NONSTOP on this goddamn land with no food, no water, and no shelter for the past five hours. Can’t ya let us in!?”

“I-I’m sorry! We will have to submit a report to Lady Rhea about this case.”

“And how long is that going to take?” Seven crossed her arms. The Gatekeeper shifted his gaze. “It… It might take a week at best…”

“Are you serious?!” Cater snapped and marched up to the poor man. “Tell that Lady Rhea or whatever to hurry it up!”

“We can’t rush the archbishop!”

“So much for being one. Is she even doing her job correctly?”

Cater was always one to smack talk. After all, she, Sice, and Nine were ones to easily showcase their irritations. They weren’t fond of hiding their emotions for the sake of politeness like Deuce or for the sake of diminishing the tension like Queen. In the background, Byleth felt a bead of sweat run down the side of her face. This was rather problematic. Perhaps it would be best she calms both parties. Besides, this was a first for her. She’s never seen a colorful group like them before outside of the people she’s known in the monastery.

“…”

Her presence was known despite being silent. The Gatekeeper had shed happy tears at the sight of his savior. Meanwhile, this prompted the older masked male, Kurasame, upfront. He approached the young woman of similar age as him.

“…”

“…”

The two didn’t speak for a full, tense minute. That is until he introduced himself.

“I’m Kurasame Susaya. I’m the commander and teacher for Class Zero. These are my students.” He did not change his stoic appearance at all, making him oddly similar in characteristics with the teal-haired. Kurasame continued, “We hail from the Dominion of Rubrum, Orience. As you can tell, we are very far away from our home country. So, we are in dire need of a place to stay for the next couple of days. At least, until we can figure out our situation.”

“...”

Sothis floated around the rowdy students from Class Zero and… a few more that seem to have accompanied the students. Soft hums came from her direction as she took in visual data. As for Byleth, she slowly nodded her head, accepting their request for a place to stay.

“I will try to talk to Lady Rhea. I think we should all go to her.”

“UGH, FINALLY,” Jack crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m getting too tired standing around. I would love to sit down or take a nap… but, ya know, it could’ve been done much earlier if this Gatekeeper didn’t keep us waiting.”

“Don’t be so rude!” Machina elbowed him. “And don’t blow our chances!”

“I won’t, I won’t~”

King, who stood behind the two boys, shook his head… almost as if these were typical behaviors from his classmates.

As the Gatekeeper called over two more security guards to open the large double door that leads the group into the monastery, Sothis and Byleth exchanged looks once she’s returned to her side.

“I would never expect there to be other students from another country…” Sothis mumbled. “I can’t seem to recall hearing of this… Suzaku Peristylium before either… It sounds familiar though.”

“…”

“Still,” she laid down mid-air and smiled. “It’s nice to have some new company.”

“…is it possible…”

“?”

Byleth tightened her fists. “Is it possible to change fate?”

She’s never seen these people before. In fact, the name “Orience” had popped up again. This cannot be a coincidence. The investigation behind their existence needs to be placed as the question remains as to why they’re here in Fodlan. But nuances aside, the fact that they appeared also meant that this timeline… this cycle… is there a sliver chance that Byleth might actually achieve the impossible? They’re from outside of Fodlan, which opens up more possibilities for the professor.

Sothis closed her eyes to ponder.

“Only time will tell. Even I have not foreseen their appearance.”


End file.
